Spider Mites on Vegetable Plants
Spider mites are garden pests that resemble a spider with red bodies and eight legs and can cause serious problems to your garden vegetables. They attack the vegetables as a colony and will eventually kill the plant if not stopped. There are methods to kill spider mites before they damage your vegetables. Does this Spark an idea?
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Understanding Spider Mites
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Spotting spider mites can be difficult because they are very small, but their fine webs are a telltale sign of which plant has been affected. Spider mites often affect vegetable plants, but can attack any plant in your garden. The spider mite colony gathers under the web and sucks the nutrients from the plant.They differentiate from the common spider because of their small size and red color.
Vegetable Plants and Spider Mites
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Spider mites attack all plants with nutritious sap and are especially present on vegetable plants. The plants store water and nutrients underneath the leaves and stems of the plant, which is why the mites congregate there. The spider mite is sucking the water and nutrients out of the plant. If the plant has been attacked by spider mites, you will most likely see blotchy yellow leaves; eventually the leaves will turn brown and drop off the vegetable plant.
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Natural Insecticides to Rid Spider Mites
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Apply a natural insecticide such as Soap-Shield, summer horticultural oil spray, rotenone and pyrethrum to your vegetable plants. These insecticides can be found at any home and garden retailer. The natural insecticides are generally safe to use on your vegetable plants and should rid your garden of the spider mite colony. Another method is sprinkling a soap-and-water solution on the colony.
Chemical Pesticides on Vegetable Plants
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Proceed with caution when using chemical pesticides on vegetable gardens to treat for spider mites. Although chemicals get faster results, spider mites may pass the pesticides on to your plants as they feed on the sap. Use chemical pesticides on vegetable plants as a last resort if natural or other methods have failed.
Biological Pest Control
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Another option for ridding your plants of pesky spider mites is biological control or using natural predators such as ladybugs or lacewings. This method can be effective and is generally safe for vegetable plants. These bugs can be found at nurseries, but may be difficult to find or expensive, since maintenance of these bugs is not easy.
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